Annan, Powell to visit RI, coordinate relief work<\/p>\n
Agencies, Washington\/Manila<\/p>\n
United Nations Secretary-General Koffi Annan and the United
\nStates Secretary of State Colin Powell will come to Indonesia
\nthis week to attend an aid conference and inspect the devastation
\nfrom last week's tsunamis which killed more than 80,000 people.<\/p>\n
Annan told a U.S. television network on Saturday that he will
\nvisit Indonesia on Thursday to coordinate international relief
\nfor Asia's tsunami victims.<\/p>\n
\"I will go to Jakarta to launch the appeal from there and work
\nwith the leaders of the region who are also determined to play a
\nrole,\" Annan told ABC News. \"And I think that's a very positive.\"<\/p>\n
Major donors will convene on Thursday in Indonesia, which is
\nhosting a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) that will focus on the effects of the tsunami disaster.<\/p>\n
\"This is the largest disaster we have had to deal with,\" Annan
\nsaid. \"The sheer complexity of it - 12 countries have been
\naffected ... And we are trying to operate in each of them and
\ngive them assistance, help coordinate the national, regional and
\ninternational assistance as well as mobilize the resources and
\nthe logistical requirements to go in and be effective.\"<\/p>\n
U.S. officials said Powell, accompanied by Florida Governor
\nJeb Bush, the brother of President George W. Bush, would travel
\nto Thailand and Indonesia to assess recovery needs in the
\nunprecedented disaster.<\/p>\n
A senior State Department official, who asked not to be named,
\nsaid the itinerary was still being worked out. There was no word
\nwhether the two would stop in Sri Lanka, the hardest hit nation
\nafter Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Nor had any decision been made whether Powell would stay for
\nan ASEAN donors' conference scheduled to be held on Thursday in
\nJakarta, the same day Annan was expected to arrive and appeal for
\naid.<\/p>\n
The trip by the chief U.S. diplomat was announced by President
\nBush on Thursday amid persistent criticism by the U.S. media that
\nthe administration was slow to respond to the crisis.<\/p>\n
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Australian
\ncounterpart John Howard already announced last week that they
\nwould attend the international emergency summit.<\/p>\n
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is cutting short
\nan overseas holiday, will also attend the summit.<\/p>\n
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will attend a
\none-day summit in Indonesia this week aimed at coordinating the
\nmassive international aid being marshaled to help Asian countries
\nrecover from catastrophic tsunamis.<\/p>\n
Indonesia announced on Friday that it would host the summit to
\ndiscuss tsunami devastation across Asia, to take stock and plan
\nhow to overcome one of the world's worst natural disasters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/annan-powell-to-visit-ri-coordinate-relief-work-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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